The Prodigy of the Hidden Realm

John and Frank were both red-faced from the scolding they had received from their mother.

"Mom, I swear, I didn't mean it like that," John quickly defended himself, trying to explain. "I never had an issue with how much Dad helped out Thomas. We were fine with it."

"Enough! I know exactly what you were thinking," Abigail snapped, furious. "You think you're so clever, always avoiding conflict, but you're the coldest, most heartless of them all. And as for Sylvia—she's been married for three or four years and hasn't even gotten pregnant yet. If it weren't for you defending her, she'd have been sent packing a long time ago!"

Frank fell silent, his eyes shifting uncomfortably as he glanced at Sylvia, who had no response.

Lily felt a pang of sympathy for her father. He might not be the strongest, but he was sharp and knew exactly what needed to be done. He had a clear vision for the future, something her uncle's family seemed to lack.

Meanwhile, Lily tugged at her father's sleeve and feigned a frightened look. "Dad, do you think we can stay somewhere else? I don't want to stay with them..." she whispered.

Her thoughts were clear. She'd rather live in a leaky thatched hut than deal with the petty, greedy antics of her uncle's family. She knew they wouldn't leave them alone once they had money, so it was better to sever ties now.

Thomas, feeling the weight of his brother's actions and the discomfort in the room, looked down at his three children, who were huddling together with nervous expressions. He sighed deeply and made up his mind.

"Mom, I agree with John. After all, if we've divided the family, we should stick to it. The thatched hut might be falling apart, but it's still habitable. But from now on, we'll be completely separate families. It's the right thing to do," Thomas said, his tone firm.

There was an underlying message in his words, signaling that once he passed his exams and was successful, he would no longer be involved with the main branch of the family. He made it clear that he was done with the petty squabbles and drama.

Abigail was taken aback, her heart sinking. She had expected this. It was painful to realize that her second son had been pushed to this point, unable to find solace even in his own family.

"Son, I..." Abigail's voice trailed off as she tried to gather herself. She knew she could not control her two other sons anymore, especially since Old Man Xu had passed.

"Don't worry, Mom. A man can bend when needed. I believe this hardship will pass soon enough," Thomas said calmly, his words filled with a quiet resolve.

Lily couldn't help but admire her father's ability to think clearly. He wasn't afraid to look ahead and make tough decisions, even when it meant distancing himself from family.

"Alright then," Abigail sighed. "After dinner, you go see the village chief and get a formal declaration."

The meal that followed was another scene of discomfort. Clara and Sylvia had worked hard in the kitchen, but the table was filled with mostly vegetables. Not a trace of meat was in sight, and even the oil seemed barely enough to coat the food.

"Didn't I tell you to go to the butcher and buy half a pound of meat?" Abigail asked, her tone icy.

"Mom, things are tough at home. I didn't have enough to buy meat, but I did get some pork fat," Clara explained nervously. "I thought I'd make lard, something we can keep for a long time. And once it's ready, I'll take some to Thomas's family."

Abigail's expression softened a little when she heard that, though she wasn't entirely pleased.

Clara let out a quiet sigh of relief. She was thankful that her mother-in-law wasn't pressing her further. But deep down, she couldn't wait to decide how much lard to share with Thomas's family once it was ready.

Lily observed the exchange between Clara and her parents and couldn't help but feel a little disgusted. It was clear that her uncle's family was never satisfied and always looking for an opportunity to take more.

After the meal, everyone went about their business. Mary went inside to put the younger children to sleep, and Thomas took his brothers to the village head to get things in writing. They also planned to work on the thatched hut before nightfall.

Lily, however, wasn't in the mood to rest. She had noticed her brother, Jacob, sneaking up to her.

"Lily, you didn't eat much at lunch. Was the carriage ride too bumpy? I saved you a piece of rice cake this morning, it's still warm, here, eat it," Jacob said in his sweet, innocent voice, pulling the rice cake wrapped in cloth out of his pocket.

"Thank you" Lily smiled, touched by his care. She had been hungry, but after seeing her aunt dip her thumb in the porridge, she had lost her appetite. The thought of eating food from their house made her stomach turn.

Before she could take a bite, though, a small, grubby hand reached out and snatched the rice cake from her.

" Aiden! What are you doing?!" Lily stared in shock as little Aiden, with a grin plastered on his face, stuffed the rice cake into his mouth.

"Heh, I knew you had something good to eat. Mom said all the good stuff in the house is mine. You're just a useless little girl, no point in eating it," Aiden said smugly, not caring in the least.

Lily was furious, unable to believe that her cousin had just stolen from her. Her patience snapped. "Who are you calling useless?!"

Suddenly, her younger brother, Jacob, stood up, glaring at Aiden. "You leave my sister alone! Don't talk about her like that!"

Aiden, still chewing, smirked. "What, are you going to defend her? She's the useless one. My mom says your whole family is nothing but beggars, mooching off us. Why don't you go back to your shack?"

Lily's temper flared, and before she could stop herself, she shoved Jacob's hand, causing the rice cake to fall to the ground, then stomped on it with her foot.

Her brother, Jacob, immediately stepped forward, angrily challenging Aiden. "You're the beggar here!"

Aiden, now furious that his snack had been ruined, shoved Lily hard, sending her crashing to the ground.

With a sickening thud, Lily's wrist hit a sharp stone, sending a wave of pain shooting through her body. "Ah!" She cried out as the blood began to ooze from the wound.

"Lily, you're bleeding!" Jacob shouted, his eyes wide with fear.

Aiden, now realizing the severity of the situation, turned pale and muttered, "I didn't mean to… I'm scared, Mom, I'm scared…"

But before he could run away, Jacob grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. "You're not getting away this time!"

The two brothers grappled on the ground, Jacob shouting angrily, "Stop picking on my sister!"